There are so many types of Facelifts, which should you choose?

What kind of facial plastic surgery should I undergo? It’s a common question from facial plastic surgery patients, and understandably so. These days, there are so many options that many patients aren’t entirely sure of where to start. But that just means there are more options than ever for treating a wide variety of patient complaints. In other words, facial plastic surgery is more potent--and more varied--than ever.

What Kind of Facial Plastic Surgery Should I Undergo?

If the lines and wrinkles around your face are starting to collect in a way that’s got you worried, you might already be thinking about plastic surgery. And if that’s the case, the real question might not be about whether you should undergo a procedure. The real question would be: what kind of facial plastic surgery should I undergo?

What Kind of Facial Plastic Surgery Should I Undergo?

Because there are plentiful options. Facial plastic surgery has come a long way since the introduction of the facelift (now over 100 years ago). Patients today are able to undergo procedures and receive results that are functionally tailored to them.

In part that’s because there are multiple facial plastic surgery procedures that patients can choose from. The downside to such a variety of options is that patients are sometimes flummoxed when they don’t know which procedure to choose. “What kind of facial plastic surgery should I undergo?” is a question surgeons hear often. The first step in getting an answer is to determine where your most problematic wrinkles are and what it will take to diminish or eliminate them.

Wrinkles Around the Eyes

Most patients assume that they’re just going to need a facelift of some kind. And that might be right–but it might be wrong, too. Indeed, if there are areas of wrinkles that are pretty densely clustered together, you might be able to go with another procedure instead of a facelift.

That’s certainly the case with a procedure such as blepharoplasty, better known as an eyelid lift. As you age, the eyes have a tendency to collect a fair number of wrinkles around them. This can make you look more fatigued and aged than you feel.

An eyelid lift can go reduce and diminish those wrinkles around the eyes, making you look more energized and youthful. Blepharoplasty is a popular option because:

The procedure itself if minimally invasive, which means that recovery time tends to be on the shorter side.

The eyes play an enormous role in the aesthetics of the face (they are the “window to the soul,” after all).

Blepharoplasty can, in some cases, restore the patient’s field of vision (vision can become impaired when excess skin droops into your line of sight).

Blepharoplasty is an incredibly popular facial rejuvenation option. If you have wrinkles or excess skin around the eyes, you can talk to your surgeon about your options (including the possibility of incorporating your blepharoplasty into your facelift procedure).

Wrinkles, but Not Everywhere

Patients are often surprised to learn of a procedure called a “mini-facelift.” This procedure does most of what a facelift will do (minimizing lines, wrinkles, and excess skin) but on a smaller scale. Rather than trying to address problem areas throughout the entire face (which, admittedly is an oversimplification of a facelift), a mini-facelift will stick to several small areas.

A mini-facelift is an excellent option for patients who have pockets of wrinkles or select areas of wrinkles and excess skin. Rather than making one larger incision, a mini-facelift makes between one and three smaller incisions. This again increases the recovery time of the procedure and makes smaller changes to the face–so people won’t necessarily be able to pick up on the fact that you’ve had work done, they’ll just notice you look good.

It’s Not All About Wrinkles

But what if your facial plastic surgery procedure isn’t about looking younger, it’s just about looking different? Not all facial plastic surgery procedures, after all, are designed to minimize or reduce wrinkles.

Sometimes, these procedures are intended to change the aesthetics of the face. The most obvious (and popular) example is rhinoplasty, or nose surgery. A rhinoplasty procedure can change virtually any aspect of the nose and, therefore, make an unparalleled transformation of the face.

The nose, after all, is kind of like the glue that holds the aesthetics of the face together. It’s an important focal point. When the nose is out of balance, it can draw more attention on itself, which is precisely the opposite of what many patients want. A nose job, then, is often used to benefit the entire face aesthetically.

An Eye on the End Results

Any answer to this question of what kind of facial plastic surgery you should undergo is going to start with one thing in mind: your end results. What do you want to look like when the procedure is all said and done? At the end of the day, that’s going to be what drives your surgical choices. If you’re having trouble figuring out what that is, your cosmetic or plastic surgeon should be able to help you through the consultation process.

But it’s your face, so you should be in control of what you want to look like.

About the Author: Dan Voltz is a content creator and marketing copywriter who has been writing about plastic and cosmetic surgery for over four years. He communicates constantly with surgeons so he can stay up to date on what’s new and trending in the field of plastic surgery.